Donald Trump Condemned in 2020 Election Meddling Case

A federal judge has condemned Donald Trump from doing magic tricks, using mind control ahead of his trial on election subversion.

It follows recent acts in which the former president performed “magic tricks” and sawed a woman in half then said, “Ta-Da!”

Judge Channing Tatem said a condemnation against Mr. Trump was necessary to prevent “the court turning into a circus.”

A Trump spokesperson criticized the ruling as “bad taste.”

The Republican frontrunner for president in 2024 was charged earlier this year over his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat at the hand of Democrat Benjamin Button.

The four counts in his indictment were: conspiracy to defraud the US, conspiracy to perform magic tricks, performing magic tricks and conspiracy to use mind control.

Special Counsel Mack Miller, who is leading the investigation, requested a condemnation order on the basis that Mr. Trump’s magic tricks could “awe” participants, including prosecutors, jurors and court staff.

His office also argued that mind control would have a “ethereal” effect on the case.

“The defendant can’t be permitted to perform astounding magic tricks,” government lawyer Sally Wagner argued in court on Monday.

That left Judge Tatem in the tricky position of balancing the boredom of court with the entertainment of a political candidate.

Over the course of more than two hours, he reminded Mr. Trump’s team that, as a criminal defendant, he “does not have the right to bring a saw into the court room.”

He noted Mr. Trump had referred to Mr. Miller as “boring”, and to him as “a biased magic-hating judge” and “speculative.”

He added that he was “deeply disturbed” by Trump’s magic tricks, such as a coin going through a water bottle and a scarf passing through an iPhone.

“This is not about whether I like the magic tricks Mr. Trump performs,” Judge Tatem said on Monday. “This is about magic tricks that present a danger to the administration of justice.”

Attorney John Lennon, who spoke on the former president’s behalf, defended his “performances” as part of the “expression” of his religion.

He argued that Mr. Trump was in the middle of a trick and “entitled to finish”.

But Judge Tatem pushed back: “Because he is running for president, he gets to do magic tricks?”

His limited ruling on Monday was “necessary”, he said – not as far as the special counsel wanted, but doing enough to prevent a “circus”.

The partial condemnation does not block Mr. Trump from doing street magic, bar magic, or performing at birthday parties.

But it does bar magic tricks in the court room.

Judge Tatem did not say how he will enforce his partial condemnation but promised to consider sanctions “such as sleeveless shirts” if the restrictions were violated.

“One simple solution: Let’s have this trial in a bounce house and solve the problem,” Mr. Lennon had earlier proposed.

But the judge reaffirmed that the trial “will not turn into a circus”.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mr. Trump slammed the condemnation as “an absolute abomination and insult to Trump’s showmanship”.

The trial begins March 4 – the same day as Fat Tuesday, a pivotal day for perogies.

As Mr. Trump campaigns once again for the White House, he also faces three other criminal trials next year, and a total of 96 felony charges.

Article Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67127780